Smooth Operator/Species characteristics

NOTE: adding in some info about various species typically used in the furry genre. I will break this down into 2 headings per species. 1 is facts, facts about the species IRL. The other is society, how those facts would likely interact with the culture set in this world. (feel free to challenge on anything related to the culture portion.)

Also, if there is some form of social higherarchy in this culture broken down by species, it would be from top to bottom on this list. I am assuming land mammals only as those are the ones that technically meet the definition of "furry" the best. Will update this list if the story content happens to expand into sea creatures or birds in the future.

Large cats

Fact Large cats are largely considered the apex predatory land species. This is true by technicality, but in actuality it is polar bears who truly hold that position.

Culture Large cats are likely at the top of society, as lions are considered to be the top among the top the other large cat species are likely to imitate lionesses in their deferral to males and large cats are likely to value males more highly than any other species does. Even with this being the case though, as apex predators, they are likely to have more respect for males of a predatory species, more respect for male large cats, and the most respect for the exceedingly rare male lions.

Birth rates Large cats would have low birth rates, and thus the level to which they value males would be even higher.

Lions

Facts

Lions already have a low birth rate of males compared to females. Lions typically live in communities of 1 male to up to 20 females (usually no less than 5 females.) Despite the male lions being larger and stronger, their job is to protect the lion pride's home while the females do all the hunting.

Culture

Lions' already low male to female ratio would have gotten even worse. As such, male lions would be such a seriously rare commodity it's a question as to whether or not there is even a single male lion in any given state or province. As such, female lions will look to other species for males. Female lions are likely the ones who set all of the cultural standards in this new society in regards to how males are treated since it is them society will have been looking to since even before this situation occurred they were a society with a low male birth rate. Being made the cultural standard will have elevated the position of lions even higher.

Other large cats

Facts

Other large cats typically do not practice any form of pair bonding. The male of a given cat species other than lion does not stick around the female he impregnates, and the female large cat raise their young on their own.

Culture

Other large cats will have had their culture affected the least out of all the animal species by the change to society and will seem the most capable of functioning in this new society since it fits well with the practices they already had. However, female large cats will likely get caught up naturally in the tendency to imitate lionesses and feel more of a duty to protect the rights of males. They are not a species that would make huge demands on males in the first place, and they would also likely enjoy the status boost they get in society from imitating the cultural leadership position that lionesses have.

Large K-9s (non-domesticated types)

Facts

K-9 species are considered significant predators who, by working in groups, can even out perform members of the large cats. However, no individual K-9 could take on a large cat 1 on 1.

Culture

Wolves would be considered the most noble among the large K-9s. Meanwhile, other large K-9s would generally be seen as more threatening. Wolves would likely be viewed in the manner one might see a soldier or a police man, where as other large K-9s like hyenas or coyotes are more likely to be seen in the same way one would a gang of ruffians.

Birth rates

K-9s would have the highest birth rate of any predatory species.

Bears

Facts

Most bears are omnivores and eat both meat and plants alike. Due to this omnivorous status, this allows them to become the largest and strongest land animal. However, due to the way the classification system for orders of predators goes, this omnivorous status actually demotes them and keeps bears out of the position of apex predator despite the fact that any bear could easily destroy any large cat. There are three exceptions to the omnivorous status of bears though. One is the panda and another is the Koala, both of which are strictly an herbivore (and the koala also being an exception to bears being large and powerful.) The other is the polar bear, which is strictly a predator. As such, the polar bear is the true land animal apex predator, but is less famous for it due to being in a family of omnivores.

Culture

Bears, despite their powerful nature, would not have much interest in influencing the culture. Bears, however, would be known to strongly value their children. Mother bears are more protective of their children than any other species. A female bear would be the classic helicopter parent, and would advocate for their own child at every possible turn. They are the one species most likely to violate the cultural standard on allowing males to get away with even rape if the rape victim happened to be her child.

(there are also likely to be fewer bears population wise in this setting.)

NOTE: Koalas are a large exception to everything related to bears, and are better to be categorized with and regarded as though they were fast moving sloths from the herbivore section.

Birth rates

Female bears have some difficulty becoming pregnant. However, due to the less social nature of bears, they are the most likely to use a sperm bank to become pregnant. However, fertile females who do meet an actual male, while being a bit socially awkward about it, will really want to try to be impregnated by him. (they will be bashful about it though and want their sex to be as secret and private as possible.)

Small K-9s (AKA, foxes)

Facts Foxes and any other small-size non-domesticated K-9 are typically burrowing species who hunt small animals. Foxes IRL can be raised as pets under certain strict standards, and they are known to be flexible in terms of whether they behave more like a cat or a dog. If a cat owner also has a fox, the fox will act like a cat. If a dog owner also has a fox, the fox will act like a dog. If someone owns a fox, but does not have any cats or dogs, the fox tends to behave in a way that's somewhere between a cat and a dog. Foxes prey on the same animals that cats do, but are superior hunters for the one fact that foxes can also burrow and they can dig up burrowing prey such as moles.

Another noteworthy thing about foxes IRL is that female foxes are known for being quite vocal during sex.

Culture Foxes would likely be a physically active species known for being clever and creative in their problem solving. Having fewer males, the old stereotype of foxes being caniving will have largely disappeared and have been replaced with a reputation for being adaptable. However, with only female foxes, they will also likely be known for being seductresses and good at attracting males. Female foxes will likely know both from instinctual knowledge as well as being trained by their mothers how to best approach and attract a male, and how to non-awkwardly proposition them for sex in a way that does not violate this world's standards for not pressuring a male too hard. (being such an intelligent and highly adaptable species, they know how to get around the rules and get what they need)

Birth rates Fox birth rates will likely be no lower than those of their larger K-9 cousins.

rodent herbavores

Facts The rodent family (which includes everything from mice and squirrels to also include rabbits and gerbils) boasts the absolute highest reproductive rate of any mammalian species. This is because the females of the species are literally ovulating almost exactly as frequently as other species are not ovulating. (as in, say, a human woman is ovulating for about 5 days out of a 30 day month. A female rodent would be ovulating for 25 days out of a 30 day month.) As such, rodents do not exactly experience heat cycles the same as most other animals do. Rather, they are just always ready to reproduce.

Culture Rodent species, due to their extremely high reproductive power, are likely to be the most populous species. While the sheer number of them likely hampers their social status, they are still considered important to the society because their large population means most of the males in the society will also be rodents just because of the numbers game. Predatory animals will likely prefer to have a male who is a member of a predatory species, but beggars can't be choosers.